I have a confession. I HATE to wash my face. Really, I do. Once, when I was in middle school, a classmate told me that each day you don’t wash your face before bed it adds 10 days to the look of your skin. Who knows where the heck she got that. I doubt if its true at all, but nevertheless it’s stuck with me all these years. It at least makes me think twice about going to bed with makeup on ,The Moisturizing, Anti-Aging Facial Wash
I recently found this great DIY recipe for a face wash with anti-aging ingredients over at Primally Inspired. This is good stuff you guys. Of course, with any DIY cleaner you make, you know what ingredients are in it. No crazy chemicals or preservatives. This one works great AND smells great, too. According to Jenni, this cleanser “removes dirt & impurities, tightens pores, moisturizes, heals, is antioxidant rich, and is calming.” Love it!The Ingredients:Castile Soap” Your “down and dirty” cleaning power. I used Dr. Bronners “Baby Mild” so it would be gentler around the eyesAloe Vera Gel” “Aloe Vera Gel stimulates cell renewal up to 6-8 times faster than normal cell production. This basically means, it is incredibly healing. There is a compound in aloe that cleanses and heals the skin quite remarkably. Studies have shown that this compound has the ability to reorganize the epidermal cells by tightening them and helping our skin retain more water.” -Primally InspiredCoconut Oil” “Coconut oil helps minimize wrinkles by promoting collagen production and replacement. Coconut oil is incredibly healing and helps create new blood vessels in and around wounds. Coconut oil is a great moisturizer, helping hydrate the skin which in turn reduces fine lines. Coconut oil is full of antioxidants which combat free radicals. Free radicals attack our skin cells and basically age the skin. They come from our environment and are also produced by our bodies. That’s why antioxidants are so important because their main job is to protect our skin from aging. Coconut oil is also antibacterial, anti fungal and antiseptic which makes it excellent for cleansing the skin.” -Primally InspiredSweet Almond Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, orMeadowfoam Seed Oil” Each of these are anti-aging oils. You can use any of the three that you prefer or have on hand. I prefer Sweet Almond Oil, personally, because it smells SO good!Essential Oils” Frankincense Essential Oil (my favorite!) has been around since biblical times (you may remember it as one of the gifts brought to baby Jesus by the Wise Men) It helps to repair and renew skin cells, has pH balancing properties, is antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti tumor. It also helps to fade scars and spots, and is very nourishing. Lavender Essential Oil is also very nourishing. It is anti fungal, antibacterial and antiviral. It is calming to the skin. Lemon Essential Oil has amazing cleansing abilities. It brightens and awakens skin while helping lighten dark spots and even skin tone.
Optional: Guar Gum or Xanthan Gum for thickening. I did not think this was necessary so I omitted it, but the original recipe calls for 1 tsp guar gum.
A Note about Essential Oils: I used to be a distributor of Young Living Essential Oils, but I no longer sell them. I believe there are several different excellent choices in Essential Oil companies out there to choose from, Young Living being one of them, but each person needs to research the companies on their own to determine which company will be the best fit for their family. Several of the oils mentioned on this blog are Young Living specific blends; however, a quick google search can help you create your own blends from other single essential oils. I still use Young Living oils on occasion, but I have found Plant Therapy to also have excellent quality oils at about half the price, so I have begun to purchase my oils there instead. You can Contact Me with any questions you may have.The Recipe:Directions:
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. I used the blender, but a simple bowl and wire whisk will do just fine. If using the guar gum, keep in mind that the longer you blend/mix, the thicker your solution will be.
Pour into a container for use. Note: This recipe makes approximately 12 ounces of facial cleanser; however, it needs to sit for a little while so that all of the bubbles release. I poured about half of my solution into an empty foaming hand soap bottle, which I keep in the shower, and saved the other half for the following…..Makeup Remover Wipes
Have you seen these things? I mean.. they’re amazing! Just a few swipes and all of your makeup is gone! No splashing water all over the bathroom (because seriously, those models aren’t doing it right in the commercials), no soap residue. Quick. Easy. Done. THIS is the way I need to “wash” my face. The problem with them is that they’re so darn expensive! The good ones are $5.00 minimum for a little pack that might last 2 weeks, and the cheap ones are, well… CHEAP! Plus, most of them have a crazy amount of chemicals that I overlooked for way too long.The Solution: DIY!
These homemade wipes are so easy to make, its embarrassing that I didn’t do it sooner!
I found a length of fleece on sale at Wal-Mart. 2 yards for 99 cents! , You can also look for fleece sheets on sale or even at thrift stores. Fleece baby blankets would work great, too!
First I washed the fleece to reduce shrinking in the future, then I ironed the edges. (You can iron the entire thing if you’d like, but I didn’t think it was necessary.)
Next, I used Pinking Shears to cut the raw edges of my fleece. Pinking shears are great because they have a zigzag blade, which helps reduce fraying. They won’t completely prevent fraying, but it does help significantly, in my opinion. You could just as easily use regular scissors, or even a rotary cutter if you would like; however, if you go that route, I would suggest sewing or serging around the edges if you’re worried about fraying.
After that, I started cutting my fabric into strips. I wanted the finished product to be a 7×7 inch square. (About the size of a disposable baby wipe), so I cut the first strip 7 inches wide.
Next I cut those strips every 7 inches to make the 7×7″ squares. Easy Peasy!
Since I cut kind of fast I had to go back through and trim some of them up a little bit. They don’t have to be perfect, but…you know… somewhat square-shaped , I ended up with a little over 100 squares! I took about 20 of them for my facial cleansing wipes, and the rest will be used for baby wipes! More on that soon!
I folded them so that they would pop up each time I took one out (like Kleenex or baby wipes do). See this short video on how to fold them:Almost Done!
Last, put the folded wipes into your empty container (I used an empty baby wipe container), and pour your beautiful, moisturizing, anti-aging solution on top. Allow at least an hour for the solution to completely soak through your wipes. It’s very thick so it takes time.
After the wipes are soaked through, you’re ready to use them! Just pull out one at a time, clean your face, then throw the wipe in with your regular laundry! They’re amazing and SO much cheaper than the disposables! My face feels so soft, clean, and smooth after using them, not to mention it smells heavenly!What Do You Think?
Do you have a facial cleansing routine? What does it involve? Have you tried making your own makeup remover/facial cleansing wipes?
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